Guyana Chronicle E-paper 3-27-2020

SATURDAY 28th March, 2020

' No.105953

Court throws out

Jagdeo’s request for SOPs

SEE STORIES ON PAGES 03&09

…to proceed with recount injunction application

…after ruling it has jurisdiction to hear case

Global Summary

The Mayor and City Council of Georgetown on Thursday commenced the sanitisation of various streets and facilities across Georgetown. The exercise began at the Stabroek Market

1. Italy's death toll has risen by more than 900; believed to be the sharpest hike in fatalities of any country 2. President Trump has signed into law a US$2T stimulus Bill to kick-start the coronavirus-hit economy 3. Britain's PM, Boris Johnson tests positive for coronavirus, as has Health Secretary Matt Hancock 4. Testing for frontline UK health workers to be ramped up next week; the number of deaths in the UK has reached 759 5. Thousands of home-bound Ukrainians queued for hours at Polish border crossings to beat a midnight deadline

Guyana gets 1,100 more COVID-19 test kits ---Minister Lawrence says only the reference lab is equipped, certified to test for virus

‘Badman’ Bryan Mackintosh arrested for issuing threats to public officials

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, March 28, 2020

Guyana gets 1,100 more COVID-19 test kits

---Minister Lawrence says only the reference lab is equipped, certified to test for virus By Navendra Seoraj THE Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) continues to support Guyana in its efforts to contain the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and to detect cases of the virus, with its most recent intervention being the donation of some 1,100 test kits to the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). This was according to Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, on Friday, during her daily update on COVID-19, which was posted on the ministry’s Facebook Page. “I am happy to announce that the ministry has received an additional 1,100 test kits from PAHO, bringing the total number of donated testing kits to

1,800,” said Minister Lawrence. Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr. Karen Boyle, in an invited comment on Wednesday, had said the ministry has about 700 testing kits and was in the process of acquiring more from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO). “Persons have to fit the description of a suspected case in order to be tested… using these criteria, the testing kits will suffice,” said Dr. Boyle. The MoPH does not only have the cacpity to test for the virus, its National Reference Lab is the only facility which is equipped and certified to conduct COVID-19 tests. Guyana had joined the list of just a few Caribbean countries able to test for the

existence of the coronavirus after receiving training from a Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) virologist. In addition to building its cacpity to conduct tests, the public health ministry has received 14 ventilators from its suppliers, which will go towards boosting the capacity of the ministry’s “level three” facility. Regarding drugs used to treat persons who are infected, Minister Lawrence said WHO has not identified a specific drug that can be used to treat infected persons, but medical professionals will treat persons based on the symptoms they may present. The public health ministry has only tested 26 of the 170 persons currently being

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence

monitored for COVID-19. And, this includes persons under institutional quarantine, home quarantine and institutional isolation. Twenty-one of those tested were negative, as the country’s number of confirmed cases continues to remain at five, including one death since the first case was recorded on March 11. All of the five cases have been imported cases with no local transmission recorded

thus far. Minister Lawrence said to date, the MoPH has received 773 calls from nine of the 10 administrative regions. The minister, however, complimented the regional and health authorities of Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) for the work they are doing to “keep out” COVID-19. She also complimented villages of Region One (Barima-Waini) for implementing various initiatives to monitor

travel in and out of the communities. “There is a log book in place to record all visitors and collect their names, medical background, destination and other information…the monitoring of travel will allow for early reporting and timely responses to any COVID-19 situation,” said Minister Lawrence. While there are growing efforts to contain the spread of the virus locally, the minister has noted the growing number of cases in the Americas. “In the US we recognise there is a rapid spread of the virus and I am sure we are concerned for the state and wellbeing of loved ones over there…we must learn from their situation and adhere to the preventative measures which include social distancing, hand washing and cough etiquette,” said the public health minister. On Wednesday, it was reported that globally, there are over 451,000 recorded cases of the pandemic and more than 20,400 persons have died. TURN TO PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, March 28, 2020

Court to proceed with application to block recount

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…rules it has jurisdiction to hear case By Svetlana Marshall JUSTICE Franklin Holder on Friday ruled that the High Court has jurisdiction to review the actions of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in light of allegations that it may have acted outside of its constitutional powers when it opted to facilitate a National Recount under the supervision of a high-level team from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), based on an agreement brokered by two of the country’s political actors. Last Tuesday, Leader of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) List of Candidates, Bharrat Jagdeo challenged the jurisdiction of the Court to hear the Fixed Date Application (FDA) filed by a private citizen, Ulita Moore. In that application, Moore asked the High Court to rule that the decision by GECOM, its Chairman and CEO to have CARICOM supervise a National Recount of all the votes cast at the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections was in contravention of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act. But Jagdeo, through his team of lawyers led by Trinidad Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, argued that the application ought to have been brought by way of an Elections Petition. Further, his lawyers argued that Section 140(1) of the Representation of the People Act ousters the jurisdiction of the Court to hear the FDA, but Justice Holder said such is not the case in this instance. Section 140 (1) states: “Except, to the extent that jurisdiction in that behalf has been conferred, and the exercise thereof is required by the Constitution or any law made under Article 163 thereof (which provides for the determination by the Supreme Court of Judicature of questions

as to membership of the National Assembly and elections thereto), and save, as hereinbefore provided to the contrary, no question whether any function of the Elections Commission or of any of its members has been performed validly or at all, shall be enquired into in any court.” In handing down his decision in the High Court on Friday, Justice Holder explained that while Section 140 of the Representation of the People Act provides for an alternative statutory remedy, in the form on an Elections Petition, to address issues provided for in Article 163, such alternative is limited. LIMITED ALTERNATIVE REMEDY “This is a limited alternative remedy to treat with only those issues provided for in Article 163,” Justice Holder said. According to Article 163 (1) of the Constitution, the High Court has exclusive jurisdiction to determine any question relative to the qualification of any person to be elected as a member of the National Assembly; and whether an election has been lawfully conducted, or the result thereof has been or may have been affected by any unlawful act or omission. Justice Holder said the complaints raised in Moore’s FDA are not aligned with those outlined in Article 163 (1). “The allegation is, by acceding to a brokered arrangement by two of the political actors and CARICOM to have a high-level CARICOM team supervise a recount of all 10 Districts, for which declarations had already been made, and for which GECOM sought to be put in effect as evidence by the statement of the Chairperson of GECOM on the 14TH March 2020, (GECOM) was in breach of the Articles 62, 162, 161 (B), 226 (1),” the High Court Judge

of GECOM, with respect to the agreement, were confirmed by Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield in his Affidavit in Defence, as well as Jagdeo in his Affidavit in Defence. “By the Affidavit of the CEO, GECOM, seemingly appreciating themselves that they may not have had jurisdiction to do such, sought to give themselves jurisdiction by seeking to amend certain provisions of the Representation of the People Act, by an Order pursuant to Section 22 of the Elections Law (Amendment) Act of 2000, which was not given effect,” the High Court Judge noted.

Justice Franklin Holder

summarised. More importantly, Article 161 (B) of the Constitution clearly states: “It is hereby declared that the role of political parties and their nominees in the conduct of elections by the Elections Commission shall be limited to their participation in determining policy, monitoring the electoral process and the conduct of the election, but does not include active management of the electoral process.” ‘CLEARLY ESTABLISHES INDEPENDENCE’ Added to that, Article 226 (1) clearly establishes independence of Commissions in the execution of their functions. That Article states: “Save as otherwise provided in this Constitution in the exercise of its functions under this Constitution, a Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.” Justice Holder said the actions

GUARDIAN OF THE CONSTITUTION He said it is imperative that his Court remains the “guardian” of the Constitution. He stated that the cases primarily relied on by Senior Counsel Mendes did not address the issue of the alleged conduct of a tribunal or functionaries seeking to act outside of their constitutional powers as alleged in the case bought by Moore. Justice Holder emphasised that the Court can inquire into the action of the Commission, if it is believed that it has or intends to act beyond its power, as defined in the Constitution. He iterated that while the ouster provision, as in the case of Section 140 of the Representation of the People Act, provides for alternative statutory remedy, that alternative remedy relates to questions provided for in Article 163, where GECOM may be acting in the ambit of its jurisdiction. “…Section 140 (1) of the Representation of the People Act by itself and when construed with Section 22 of the Elections Law (Amendment) Act …does not ousts the jurisdiction of the court, in its ordinary jurisdiction, for Judicial Review where the Elections Commission has alleged to have done or intends to do something

that it has no jurisdiction to do,” Justice Holder said. It was on those grounds that Justice Holder established jurisdiction to hear the case brought by Moore, who is being represented by Grenadian Queen's Counsel, Dr. Francis Alexis; Attorneys-at-Law John Jeremie, S.C.; Keith Scotland out of Trinidad and Tobago; and Guyanese Lawyers Mayo Robertson and Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde. Robertson and Dr. Alexis, in their submissions, had made similar observations as outlined by the High Court Judge. The Chairman of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, was represented by Attorney-at-Law Kim Kyte-Thomas, while the Chief Elections Officer was represented by Senior Counsel Neil Boston. Attorney-at-Law Timothy Jonas appeared on behalf of A New and United Guyana (ANUG); the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP); and The New Movement (TNM), all added respondents in the matter. Meanwhile, in response to the Court’s decision, Jagdeo, through his lawyers, asked the Court to stay the proceedings to allow for the filling of an appeal, but the request was denied. Anil Nandlall, one of the attorneys representing Jagdeo, has since indicated that an appeal has been filed. “An appeal against Justice Franklin Holder’s ruling in the Ulita Moore case that the High Court has jurisdiction to hear and determine those proceedings, along with an Application for a Stay of those proceedings while the Appeal is being heard, has already been filed, and is fixed for hearing at 11:00hrs on Monday, March 30, 2020,” Nandlall said on Friday evening.

Guyana gets 1,100 more ...

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Closer to Guyana, Brazil has recorded over 2270 cases, while Trinidad and Tobago recorded 60 cases. Suriname has recorded eight cases of the virus, while Venezuela’s figures have climbed to 91. In Guyana, as part of the efforts to contain the spread of the virus, President David Granger had issued executive orders in line with the Public Health Ordinance. With Guyana recording five cases of COVID-19 so far, President Granger, through the order, said immediate action is necessary to address the virus. In that regard, he directed Minister Lawrence,

to “restrain, segregate and isolate” persons infected with the virus, or those who may be affected from exposure to the virus. President Granger had even called on the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and other law enforcement agencies to provide assistance with the enforcement of the various measures where necessary. Among the menu of measures ordered by President Granger was the containment of persons who may have shown signs of having contracted COVID-19, and the provision of curative treatment for persons who are suffering from

the virus. The President also directed Minister Lawrence to remove, disinfect and destroy any personal effects, goods, buildings or other articles, materials or things exposed to the virus. The minister was also ordered to prevent the spread of the virus on the seas, rivers and waters of Guyana, and on the high seas within twelve miles of the baseline, as well as on land, among other things. “All government agencies and local government authorities are urged to render assistance and cooperation to undertake critical, urgent and appropri-

ate response and measures in a timely manner to curtail and eliminate the COVID-19 threat,” President Granger said. He also said that all citizens, residents, tourists and members of the private sector must act in accordance with the law, and comply with any lawful directives and advisories issued by appropriate government agencies to prevent further transmission of the COVID-19, and ensure the safety and wellbeing of all. According to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), coronaviruses

are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). The coronavirus outbreak reportedly originated in Wuhan, China, and has since spread to many other countries, including some in the Americas. Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, coughs, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumo-

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nia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. Persons who suspect that they may have the virus are advised not to visit a healthcare facility, but instead call on several provided hotlines where it can be arranged for a health team to visit. Minister Lawrence noted that additional hotline numbers have been added, and staff has been increased to facilitate efficiency. The numbers are 226-7480; 229-7490; 231-1166; 227-4986; 6246674; 624-2819; 624-9355.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday March 28, 2020

Trump signs $2.2 trillion coronavirus rescue package (AL JAZEERA) Washington, DC - US President Donald Trump on Friday signed a massive $2.2 trillion economic rescue bill to help lift the economy and address the coronavirus pandemic. His signature came after the Democratic-led House of Representatives approved the

sweeping package by a voice vote earlier in the day, despite a procedural challenge from Republican Representative Thomas Massie, who wanted a formal recorded vote. The bill had passed the Republican-led Senate on Wednesday with overwhelming bipartisan support in a

96-0 vote. “We are taking care of our people,” President Donald Trump said this week, referring to the bill. The bill is the largest rescue package in US history. Addressing the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, the legislation offers direct payments to most Americans and special financing for big and small businesses. “This is a pandemic that we haven’t even seen for over 100 years in our country. It’s really such a tragedy. So we had to take important action that puts families first and workers first and that’s what we did,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said earlier this

week. Pelosi said Congress would likely take up additional legislation in coming weeks to respond to the evolving challenge of the coronavirus, which has so far infected more than 85,000 people and killed more than 1,300 people across the US. “Next, we’ll go from emergency mitigation, to recovery,” Pelosi said. Federal agency leaders scrambled this week to develop plans to implement the new legislation, anticipating urgent demands for help from millions of people and businesses. The coronavirus crisis has left US businesses flattened by lost business and

Saturday, March 28, 05:30hrs - 07:00 hrs

state-mandated closures. An estimated three million small businesses will need special financing to survive and more than three million workers lost their jobs in just the last week. As of Friday, there were more questions than answers about how the federal funding will work. Agencies cannot offer authoritative guidance on the new programmes until Trump signs the bill into law. ‘Fails to address states’ needs’ New York, which has recorded more than 44,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, has been hit the hardest in terms of the scale and effects of the virus. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, warned on Thursday the newly approved federal funding for states would not be enough to cover the need in New York, where hospitals are already being overwhelmed with patients. “The congressional action, in my opinion, simply failed to address the governmental need,” Cuomo told reporters at a news conference earlier this week. New York estimates it will lose $10bn to $15bn in revenue because of the economic slowdown. The state would receive $5bn from the federal rescue bill passed by Congress but only for COVID-19 response, not lost revenue, Cuomo said. State and city authorities around the US were working this week to build capacity at hospitals with more beds and respirators. Meanwhile, Dr Deborah Birx, the Trump White House coronavirus response coordinator, said on Thursday incoming data from South Korea and Italy suggests projections of fatalities in the US may be

less catastrophic than previously thought. White House officials are discussing how to ease travel and business restrictions for areas of the country less affected by the virus. “What we are trying to do is utilise a laser-guided approach rather than a horizontal approach,” Birx said. Trump has said he wants to reopen the country for business by April 12, despite warnings from health experts, including some within his administration, who say the US has yet to experience the worst of the pandemic. What is in the legislation? The Center for a Responsible Federal Budget, a non-profit group that tracks US budget deficits, scored total spending under the rescue bill at approximately $2.3 trillion. Here is a look at where most of the money will go, according to the budget watchdog: $510bn - Lending for large businesses, governments $377bn - Small business loans and grants $290bn - Direct payments to most Americans $280bn - Cuts to business taxes $260bn - Expanded unemployment benefits $180bn - Funding for hospitals, healthcare $150bn - Support for state, local governments $72bn - Transportation, public transit $42bn - Social safety net, food and housing $45bnn - Federal emergency disaster assistance $32bn - Increased spending on education $19bn - Reductions in individual taxes $25bn - Other spending

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday March 28, 2020

REVISED CXC EXAMINATIONS COVID-19 claims second T&T patient STRATEGY EXPLAINED (BARBADOS ADVOCATE) Recognising the impact of COVID-19 on the education system in general, more specifically on the schedule of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) regional examinations, the council has proposed a revised examinations strategy starting with all components of the exams being moved back by one month. Speaking at the press briefing held at the Caribbean Examinations Council Headquarters yesterday was Dr. Wayne Wesley, Registrar and CEO of CXC. Wesley announced that the exams, deadlines for submissions of SchoolBased Assessments (SBAs) and deadlines for the submissions of additional components, would all be pushed back by one month to July 2020. The original dates for exams were set for May 4th to June 12th, but Wesley explained that the council revised the overall strategy to yield valid grades and minimise the disruption to the education system during the unprecedented situation of COVID-19. “We do understand and appreciate what is happening in the region and we are flexible enough to respond and entertain the requisite dialogue with our local registrars to ensure that our students, which are the primary concern to us here, are not disenfranchised and are afforded the best opportunity to demonstrate their potential,” said Wesley. The modified examination process will be the administration of at least one common paper (Multiple Choice

Assessment), SBAs and Paper 032s (alternative to SBA) for private candidates and will award final grades based on the moderated SBAs and Multiple Choice Papers. There are exceptions to the modifications as candidates for Modern Languages (French, Spanish and Portuguese) will have to complete an oral component and profile assessments. Also those sitting Human and Social Biology will have a Paper 2 component as that subject is without an SBA option and for Visual Arts, the submitting of journals is required. The territories are at various stages of SBA completion and Wesley outlined that the council is working towards the best dates for the submissions of the SBAs, taking all affected into consideration. Also for those situations where, because of COVID-19 students could not reach the laboratories to complete the SBAs, a solution would be found. The strategy will employ the e-Testing modality in order to reduce the examinations administration processing time, which will give the shortest turnaround time for marking and release of examination results. Nicole Manning, CXC Director of Operations highlighted the fact that electronic marking was not new. “Marking is usually done electronically, there are very few subjects that are not. It is not something that we have to put in place,” stated Manning. For those countries who may not have the best internet access, besides online modality, the council is working

with the island registrars to facilitate offline processes. Through this, the disruption to the 2020/2021 academic year should be minimal especially as it relates to student applications to various universities in the region or internationally. The seriousness of the COVID-19 situation facing the region has also pushed the council to prepare for any case including if the pandemic worsens. This has caused the CXC to gather protocols which would help prepare the students for the occasion where exams could not be held in the same building due to social distancing or further country shut downs. Diane Medford, Senior Manager for Examinations, CXC, emphasised the fact that the council was working with the local registrars. “We are working with the local registrars and they would have been guided by their ministries of education and of course by the national protocols. So our response time is better in terms of what is happening on the ground, to make the requisite decisions and coming back to the media where that is concerned. Be rest assured we are working very closely with all our territories.” The affected candidate population registered for CAPE this year as stated by Medford was 30,016 while for CSEC was 120,380 students. Wesley noted that the council had also considered the situation where conditions had deteriorated so badly that exams could be cancelled for 2020 but stated that it was a last resort.

(TRINIDAD GUARDIAN) Trinidad and Tobago has recorded its second death and 66th COVID-19 case. The Ministry of Health made the announcement in its first daily update on Friday. “The Ministry of Health informs the population that today, Friday 27th March, despite the best efforts of the health care professionals, a second national of T&T who tested positive for COVID-19 has died,” the release said. As per the ministry’s policy, it only revealed that the deceased T&T citizen was an elderly man with pre-existing medical complications but Guardian Media understands he died on Thursday. The news comes almost 48 hours after the ministry announced this country’s first death due to the virus on Wednesday night. That patient was identified as Hansel Leon, 77. The release also stated that the 66th overall case is a Tobago health worker. Guardian Media understands that the worker is attached to the Scarborough General Hospital and tested positive early Friday. In a release, the Tobago Regional Health Authority that the worker has been isolated, staff meetings held and staff provided with psychological support. Contact tracing has also been initiated. It also noted that the hospital will be sanitised and the scheduled cleaning and disinfection will continue. This was the second case reported in Tobago. So far, 15 Tobago samples have been sent to CARPHA for testing. Thus far, the Caribbean Public Health Agency has tested 453 T&T samples with 66 people testing positive. Some 47 of these 66 patients were from among a group of 68 nationals who recently returned home from an ill-fated Caribbean cruise and were immediately quarantined in Balandra. Of those who were admitted with the virus, one person has recovered and has been discharged.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, March 28, 2020

Time to release Guyana from the imposed vice IT’s almost four weeks since Guyanese went to the polls to decide who would govern our beloved country for the next five years. Unfortunately, the final results have not been announced, thanks to a series of delaying tactics by one of the major contestants. Although GECOM made its declaration of the winner in the crucial Region Four district, that body has not been able to make a final declaration of the national results, largely because the opposition PPP has resorted to using the courts to challenge what it views as suspect results. This publication supports the right to judicial review of any decision by a public agency; it is an essential part of a functioning democracy. But we are wary of attempts to use that mechanism to derail an entire election. If after four weeks Guyanese have become impatient and perhaps cynical, this is to be expected. Yes, the final results of elections in Guyana have

always taken a little longer than in other CARICOM countries, but never has there been this long a delay. We do not wish to point fingers as there is enough blame to be shared by all contestants and stakeholders. Yet, at some point we have to call a spade a spade. There can be no avoidance of the undeniable fact that the PPP has set its face squarely against an outcome of these elections that sees that party as the loser. In the process it has taken the country along a precarious path from which we may not be able to extricate ourselves without much damage to our national psyche. We have already witnessed flashes of violence that have gone against the grain of peaceful co-existence. Some have openly advocated for the withholding of goods and services as a form of political retaliation. And this is all taking place against the backdrop of some of the most incendiary rhetoric being used against whole groups of citizens, par-

ticularly on social media. This cannot be one of our proudest moments as a country. We call attention to this state of affairs not to be alarmist, but to alert the country to the seriousness of the times. At a time when we should be linking our hearts and energies in common defence of a pandemic, our people are being set against each other by men and women who view the acquisition of political power as their only objective. We are not blinded to the fact that our politics have always had an element of dogfighting, but this has gone beyond the ordinary. History would not be kind to us if we continue to endanger the lives of citizens on two fronts—the Covid-19 virus and the threat of political instability. It is high time that those who have used their voices in “defence of democracy” speak with the same intensity against the wilful sacrifice of our national gains at the altar of political expediency. The democra-

cy that we have heard about in recent times cannot be one that is silent about racial bigotry. It cannot be one that condones violence against children, women and unarmed law enforcement officers, simply because of their pigmentation or perceived political affiliation. That democracy cannot be selective; it must be one that is impartial and moral. Now more than ever our country cries out for a moral compass that eschews potential and actual domination. We have had an election. The umpire has made its call. Stop placing blockades in the way of the final determination. There is a place for elections petitions. There is also the option of sitting down and arriving at a political consensus. It is time to release Guyana from the vice that has been imposed by those who think that the country is their personal plantation.

Nigel Hinds has usurped the role of GECOM chairman Dear Editor WHEN Change Guyana (CG) was birthed, most Guyanese sat expectantly awaiting the new outfit to unveil its political identity. The wait was not long since information was soon descending on their heads faster than that of the Kaieteur Falls. First in the headlines and on the political radar were Robert Badal and Nigel Hinds, who introduced themselves as the political catalysts behind the newly founded featherweight political movement. Robert Badal, who is a local businessman with several business interests, attempted to endear himself to the electorate

by claiming that he was not doing this for financial gains, but rather out of patriotism. He boasted that he is super-rich and will forgo his monthly remuneration, if he is elected President. Even though that presidential fantasy was a long shot, what he did not clarify was more concerning. Will he use his political position to develop business interests in the oil industry? He never answered. And his prime ministerial candidate was the long-legged accountant Nigel Hinds, who is an excellent political long jumper. First he jumped into the long-jump pit of PPP then with a record jump he was in the APNU+AFC camp.

Full of energy and enthusiasm, the long-legged then hopped into the Change Guyana sandpit. Anyway, Nigel Hinds followed his presidential candidate lead of forgoing his remuneration, but also omitted to clarify potential interests in the oil industry. Then Nomination Day arrived. The six-footer Nigel Hinds was alongside the diminutive Robert Badal, as they both strolled towards GECOM which was temporarily housed in that local structure for our Indigenous peoples. It did not take long for the mysterious and unusual union to unfold. According to GECOM sources, a tremulous Nigel did not sign the legal declaration to

confirm that he had emancipated himself from his American citizenship. You see, from a CJ ruling in 2019, information regarding dual citizenship was spreading faster around Guyana than the Coronavirus in China, resulting in many casualties. During this saga, Nigel Hinds by his actions mislead the populace into believing that he had given up his citizenship of the country of the Stars and Stripes. Now sensing that his dual citizenship deceit will be released like bowel gases, he decided to announce that he has a medical condition that required urgent medical intervention. He further announced, in full Bill Clinton remorseful mode, that he

requires this urgent care in America, hence the reason he didn’t renounce his citizenship. That was in January 2020. As a doctor I know urgent medical conditions need to be addressed within hours to days, or it can deteriorate to an emergency condition. Anyway, since Nigel’s revelation he has been running around campaigning with CG with no evidence of physical exhaustion. Multiple interviews he was able to do with obvious clarity in thoughts. Physically he looks athletic and not particularly bothered by this unknown medical condition. TURN TO PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, March 28, 2020

OP-ED

Don’t let COVID-19 become a hunger game

By QU Dongyu Director-General of FAO THE COVID-19 pandemic is putting enormous strains on public health systems around the world, and millions of people in the world’s most advanced economies are in some form of quarantine. We know the human toll will be high and that massive efforts to turn the tide carry a heavy economic cost. To reduce the risk of an even greater toll -- shortage of food for millions, even in affluent countries -- the world must take immediate actions to minimize disruptions to food-supply chains. A globally coordinated and coherent response is needed to prevent this public health crisis from triggering a food crisis in which people cannot find or afford food. For now, COVID-19 has not entailed any strain on food security, despite anecdotal reports

of crowded supermarket sieges. While there’s no need for panic -- there is enough supply of food in the world to feed everyone – we must face the challenge: an enormous risk that food may not be made available where it is needed. The COVID-19 outbreak, with all the accompanying closures and lockdowns, has created logistical bottlenecks that ricochet across the long value chains of the modern global economy. Restrictions of movement, as well as basic aversion behaviour by workers, may impede farmers from farming and food processors (who handle most agricultural products) from processing. Shortage of fertilisers, veterinary medicines and other inputs could also affect agricultural production. Closures of restaurants and less frequent grocery shopping diminish demand for fresh produce and fisheries products, affecting producers and suppliers, especially

smallholder farmers with longterm consequences for the world’s increasingly urbanised population, be they in Manhattan or Manila. Uncertainty about food availability can induce policymakers to implement trade-restrictive measures in order to safeguard national food security. Given the experience of the 2007-2008 global food price crisis, we know that such measures can only exacerbate the situation. Export restrictions put in place by exporting countries to increase food availability domestically could lead to serious disruptions in the world food market, resulting in price spikes and increased price volatility. In 2007-2008, these immediate measures proved extremely damaging, especially for low-income, food- deficit countries and to the efforts of humanitarian organisations to procure supplies for the needy and vulnerable. We should all learn from our recent past and

not make the same mistakes twice. Policy-makers must take care to avoid accidentally tightening food-supply conditions. While every country faces its own challenges, collaboration – between governments and the full gamut of sectors and stakeholders -- is paramount. We are experiencing a global problem that requires a global response. We must ensure that food markets are functioning properly and that information on prices, production, consumption and stocks of food is available to all in real time. This approach will reduce uncertainty and allow producers, consumers, traders and processors to make informed decisions and to contain unwarranted panic behaviour in global food markets. The health impacts of the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic on some of the poorest countries are still unknown. Yet, we can say with certainty that any ensuing food crisis as a result of poor pol-

icy-making will be a humanitarian disaster that we can avert. We already have 113 million people experiencing acute hunger; in sub-Saharan Africa, a quarter of the population is undernourished. Any disruptions to food supply chains will intensify both human suffering and the challenge of reducing hunger around the world. We must do everything possible to not let that happen. Prevention costs less. Global markets are critical for smoothening supply-and-demand shocks across countries and regions, and we need to work together to ensure that disruptions of food supply chains are minimised as much as possible. COVID-19 forcefully reminds us that solidarity is not charity, but common sense.

Social-distancing and PPP guarding of ballot boxes Dear Editor, IN the light of rising cases of the global COVID-19 pandemic, it has been brought to my attention via social media that PPP/C supporters are "guarding the ballot boxes" in contravention of safe social- distancing policies. This

is a dangerous health risk for spreading the coronavirus. First, the World Health Organisation (WHO) discovered that the coronavirus is airborne "like aerosol spray," and recent scientific studies have revealed that DNA traces of the virus were still there 17 days after the passengers left

the Diamond Princess cruise ship. On a more verifiable measurement, transmission can occur on surfaces up to three days. Furthermore, the UK newspaper The Guardian discussed that "The virus is pretty stable on [materials] like plastic and steel – they can persist for a few days. So it’s very pos-

sible that someone who’s sick will deposit the virus on to the surface and then somebody else will touch it and touch their face." Therefore, shipping containers make it a perfect surface for the coronavirus to infect people. Additionally, economic and social sacrifices are being made by

the developed nations to prevent an exponential spread of the coronavirus through social distancing and staying at home. On the contrary, the PPP/C protesters are congregating and are planning to get up close and personal TURN TO PAGE

Nigel Hinds has usurped the ...

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Then two months after Election Day and days after, Nigel was still full of energy which was evident in him jumping up and down like jack in the box. By March 6th, the “ailing” Nigel was part of a brigade that wreaked havoc in GECOM. He was full of calories as the office door of the Lady Chairperson was kicked in. The point I am making is that Nigel demonstrated no evidence of medical illness that required urgent medical care. Let me be honest, at this point I thought this must be another of Nigel’s compulsive confabulations. That position completely changed on the 26th March when I saw a letter in the PPP’s local news outlet, Stabroek News titled, “I congratulate President-elect Ali and look forward to a government that is inclusive and transparent.” The letter is authored by no other than the “ailing” Nigel Hinds. It took me some time to digest and make sense of the 250-word missive. Let’s address the sense or lack thereof of it first. Let’s assume that Nigel is right in his prediction of a PPP win.

Him begging the PPP to be transparent and inclusive is an impossible task. Fact is, Nigel, it would be easier for the PPP to fetch water in a basket. The reason is simple: Ali’s selection process was far from transparent. As a matter of fact, presidential candidate selection has never been a transparent process in the PPP. Also, for 23yrs in power, PPP governments have never been transparent and inclusive, so much so that Ali himself has 19 criminal charges. So much so that many former PPP ministers are facing criminal charges for fraud. So much so that Transparency International characterised Guyana as one of the most corrupt countries in the world during the PPP’s 23 years in power. Why would Nigel believe that his plea will transform the communist party? So the question that many may wish answered is why would Nigel make such an outrageous statement when GECOM’s numbers clearly demonstrate that APNU+AFC won? Is Nigel one of the Afro-Guyanese profession-

als the PPP has coerced into undermining a diverse APNU+AFC win? I do not have any evidence to support this but it is definitely a possibility, in view of their pre-election strategy of hugging a random black. Was he paid to pen that letter? I doubt it. He boasted on television that he is rich. Is it this confused state that has caused Nigel to believe he is the Chairperson of GECOM? Is it this confused state that deludes Nigel into believing that he can declare Irfaan Ali winner of the 2020 elections and in the process usurp the role of Chairperson Justice Singh? Is it this confused state which has clouded Nigel’s judgment, leading him to wrongfully believe that he is the Lady Chancellor Justice Cummings-Edwards, hence he can swear Irfaan Ali in as the President? I’m reasonably confident of my clinical conclusions, therefore as a responsible doctor I am compelled to offer Nigel some free medical advice. Nigel, with 19 years of medical expe-

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rience, I can only see this getting worse without the urgent medical care that you suggested you needed two months ago. Nigel, these delusions are being driven by your underlying medical condition, if not addressed with some urgency, it will get worse. Left untreated, you may believe that you have powers to allocate parliamentary seats. Left untreated, you may delude yourself into believing that you are Speaker of the House and should be treated as such. It is for these reasons that I beseech you to seek that long overdue medical intervention. There is no need to worry about Change Guyana. They are going nowhere apart from the political scrapheaps. Irfaan Ali will be joining them too. Regards Dr Mark Devonish

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, March 28, 2020

Capoey gets new Rotary Guyana, businesses join fight against COVID-19 15hp outboard engine ROTARY Guyana (a combination of all rotary clubs in the country) has collaborated with a number of businesses to launch the "Community COVID-19 Initiative," which seeks to address the impact of the pandemic in Guyana. As concerned citizens of Guyana, the aim is to provide assistance to the Ministry of Public Health in its effort to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative will be implemented with guidance from The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), which are recognised as leading global experts. The initiative will focus on developing an effective multimedia campaign to educate the public with credible, verified information from the PAHO/WHO and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Further, it will raise funds for the

procurement of medical supplies for healthcare providers to meet the anticipated need. The supplies gained will be handed over to the health authorities. “With monetary support from the business community, the initiative will seek to assist with procurement of critical medical supplies,” a statement from Rotary Guyana said. The initiative acknowledges the PAHO's technical expertise and its important supportive role in Guyana's healthcare system. “To date, the Community COVID-19 Initiative has identified medical supply needs from the Ministry of Public Health and Mercy Hospital. They are also communicating with other healthcare facilities to identify their medical supply needs at this time,” the release said. The Community COVID-19 Initiative’s goal for their multimedia campaign is to help bring aware-

ness to the general public so as to contain the spread of the dreaded disease. “Through multimedia platforms, the initiative will be sharing informative messages, videos and flyers to reach as many Guyanese as possible. All of these messages that will be shared with our fellow Guyanese on COVID-19 will be based on credible information publicised by the ministry, PAHO/WHO, and CDC,” the statement added. The initiative is supported by Rotary Guyana, E-Networks Inc., RED Entertainment, Ogle+Stone, 94.1FM, GTT, MixFM and Toucan Industries. The Community COVID-19 Initiative is aiming to gain more support from the business community and is welcoming all concerned citizens of Guyana to join the fight against COVID-19.

The Community Health Worker accepting the outboard engine

THE Public Health Department in Region Two recently handed over a new Yamaha 15HP Outboard Engine to the Amerindian community of Capoey. The

engine was handed over by to the Community Health Worker, Ayasha Persaud, by representative of the Regional Executive Officer. Toshao of the Amer-

indian community, Ralph Hendricks, said the engine will boost healthcare delivery in the community. Hendricks said the engine will be used on the community boat to transport emergency cases, doctors and nurses to the health post. He said a health team usually visits the community monthly to conduct medical outreach. He, therefore, thanked the Regional Administration for the timely intervention that will significantly benefit his community. Community Health Worker, Ayasha Persaud, thanked Regional Executive Officer, Denis Jaikarran, and the Regional Health Officer, Afarah Khan, for the timely gesture. She said whenever there are emergencies, many times families cannot afford to transport their family members and therefore the boat will be used to assist.

FAKE LETTER WAS SENT TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO SHUT DOWN GUYANA

Dear Editor

A LETTER dated March 26th, 2020, and addressed to UK High Commissioner Greg Quinn, Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chaterjee, U.S. Ambassador Sarah Ann Lynch, and Head of the EU Delegation, Fernando Ponz Canto urged immediate sanctions against Guyana. To give the letter credibility, the author included as signatories to the request, seven of the 13 political parties who contested Guyana’s as yet to be concluded general and regional elections. Upon the letter’s release, the supposed signatories immediate-

ly protested their knowledge of the communique, stating publicly that an endorsement of this letter by their party never happened. The Citizen’s Initiative stated in an official release, “We wish to go on record to state that we have not signed any such letter, nor endorsed its contents.” The letter urged implementation of the withdrawal of “recognition of the Government of Guyana and the withdrawal of recognition and/or non-recognition of the Government of Guyana in international organisations in which yourself and Guyana are members,” which would include removing Guyana from the United Nations and the International Court of

Justice (ICJ), at a time when the small South American country is fighting to maintain the rights to 159,500 km ² of its sovereign territory against the Venezuela’s aggression. The Governments of Guyana and Venezuela have been embroiled in a long-standing border controversy and were scheduled to meet before the ICJ on March 23rd, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the international court pushed the court date back indefinitely. Although the case was settled in what is now known as the Arbitral Award of 3 October, 1899, Venezuela reignited the border claim with aggression in 2015 when the coalition government of A Part-

nership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) won the seat of state power after 23 years of rule by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) . In 2015, after the loss, the former President of Guyana, now Opposition Leader Mr Bharrat Jagdeo strongly and repeatedly advocated for the relinquishment of Guyana’s river territory to Venezuela. Political pundits and legal luminaries note that should Guyana lose its international recognition as requested by the author of the March 26th letter, an immediate forfeit of its rights to representation as a UN member

Social-distancing and PPP ... with the shipping containers (and eventually the ballot boxes, once those shipping containers are legally opened). One possible health risk is that when the shipping containers are being handled, the ballot boxes might contain traces of the corona-

virus if an infected person then went too close to the ballot boxes. I know that this concern sounds outlandish, but the high rates of infection and death in Italy are no laughing matter. Nor is the forced lockdown of the developed countries which cost their economies trillions of

dollars in losses. Those First World democracies have introduced fines and imprisonment for anyone who flouts the social distancing policies in public. Furthermore, it has been proven that gatherings of people create a higher transmission rate

state would negatively affect its ICJ case and result in a loss of the disputed land and maritime territory to Venezuela. No one knows who authored the fake letter, but our sources in Guyana hint to a strong relationship between the top echelon of the PPP and Venezuela, with some even suggesting that Venezuela is the source of PPP’s funding. Now that Guyana is an oil-producing nation, it could be that Venezuela’s cash-strapped economy could have a new lease on life from Guyana's oil windfall. Regards Mark Da Costa

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of the coronavirus. This is evident in the active social lifestyles of the Southern Europeans, and the high infection rates in populous American states, such as New York and New Jersey. In conclusion, though the PPP/C’s supporters are being allowed their right to assembly

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and protest, they are ignoring the WHO recommendations of social distancing and staying at home when necessary, putting many at risk of the coronavirus. Regards, Riaz Hamid

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, March 28, 2020

High Court throws out Jagdeo’s request for SOPs

By Svetlana Marshall ATTEMPTS by Leader of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) List of Candidate, Bharrat Jagdeo to have Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield produce his Statements of Poll (SOPs) for District 4 failed on Friday when High Court Judge Franklin Holder refused his Application for Discovery. Justice Holder’s refusal was on the grounds that the application ought to have been brought by way of an Elections Petition, after the declaration of the results for the elections. In handing down his ruling in the High Court, Justice Holder explained that Jagdeo, through his application, intended to obtain information, so as to challenge the validity of the declaration of votes in District 4, and by extension the validity of the entire elections. He said that Article 163 (1) of the Constitution and the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Act, when read together, allow for issues, such as those raised by Jagdeo, to be addressed by way of an Elections Petition. “The question I find being asked by the applicant falls

National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Act, [and] must be brought by way of petition,” Justice Holder said. He emphasised that any question relating to the accuracy of election results, the tabulation of SOPs, and declarations must be dealt with by way of an Elections Petition. An Elections Petition must be filed within 28 days of the declaration of the results of an election by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). “It is clear the main reason Mr. Jagdeo seeks the SOPs is for him to peruse, to persuade the court to engage in a comparative analysis of the SOPs in his possession, which he considers accurate, and those in possession of the CEO,” Justice Holder said. He noted that Jagdeo’s Attorney, Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, in his submissions, alleged that the declaration of the votes in District 4 was fraudulent, on the basis that the SOPs were inaccurate. These allegations, Justice Holder pointed out, raise the issue of whether the elections were lawfully conducted, or whether some unlawful act or omission had occurred in Dis-

“These are issues which I find, are required to be dealt with by an Elections Petition, as prescribed for by Article 163 (1) (B) of the Constitution, and the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Act. This Court cannot entertain the question as to validity of any election held generally or in any particular place,” the High Court Judge stated. HOLLADAR ET AL MATTER He pointed out that

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had noted that those issues would be better canvassed in an Elections Petition. “I reconfirm my initial view that these matters would better be canvassed in an Elections Petition. I am not concerned with the votes cast for any of the parties,” the Chief Justice (ag) had said in her March 11, 2020 ruling. She had made it clear that the issue to be determined in the Holladar application was is a narrow one; a case of whether there has been compliance with Section 84 (1) of

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield on his way to the Courtroom on Friday

Attorney-at-Law Kim Kyte-Thomas, the Legal Counsel representing GECOM Chairman Justice Claudette Singh

Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall proceeding to the Courtroom on Friday

within provisions of Article 163, and by Section 3 of the

trict 4, and as a consequence, the entire electoral process.

Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire, in adjudicating in the case Reeaz Holladar v the Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo and other, indicated that issues regarding the accuracy of the tabulation of SOPs in District 4 must be addressed by way of an Elections Petition. In that judgment, the Chief Justice (ag) said: “There are aspects of the claim in this application whether Mr. Ramson was recognised as a counting agent for the PPP/C; whether an application for final count for District No. 4 was accepted or not; and whether what the applicant says are SOPs he has in his possession has the correct tabulation, are not for an application such as this.” Justice George-Wiltshire

Chapter 1:03. Justice Holder said the Courts have had consistent approach to decline jurisdiction to hear such complaints outside of an Election Petition. On that note, he cited a number of cases, including the case of Gladys Petrie and Others v The Attorney General and Others (1968). In that case, it was stated that any challenge to “the election process can only be conducted pursuant to an Elections Petition and before an election court.” Added to that, Justice Holder said, as submitted by Trinidad Attorney-at-Law Keith Scotland, Section 19 of the National Assembly (Validity of Election) Act serves as a barrier to the Application for Discovery, as applied for

by Jagdeo. According to Section 19 of the National Assembly (Validity of Election) Act: “Any document or paper relating to an election, and required to be kept thereafter in safe custody of the Chief Election Officer under Section 102 of the Representation of the People Act, may be inspected or produced under an Order of the Court for the purpose of an election petition, and the order may be made by a judge on his being satisfied by evidence on oath that such inspection or production is required for the purpose aforesaid: Provided that the Chief Elections Officer shall, after the expiration of twelve months from the date of an election, burn all such documents and paper relating thereto.” APPLICATION DENIED It was on the foregoing grounds that Justice Holder refused the Application for Discovery. Scotland is among a battery of lawyers representing Ulita Moore, the private citizen who has asked the High Court to block GECOM from facilitating a National Recount of all the votes cast at the March 2 General and

Regional Elections. Her other attorneys include Grenadian Queen's Counsel, Dr. Francis Alexis; Attorneys-at-Law John Jeremie S.C., and Guyanese Lawyers Mayo Robertson and Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde. Attorney-at-Law Kim Kyte-Thomas, the Legal Counsel representing the Chairman of GECOM Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, had made similar submissions. “It is submitted that the production of the SOPs is not for an application such as this. These matters would better be canvassed in an elections petition,” Kyte-Thomas had told the High Court Judge in her written submission on behalf of the GECOM Chair. The Chief Elections Officer was represented by Senior Counsel Neil Boston, while Attorney-at-Law Timothy Jonas appeared on behalf of A New and United Guyana (ANUG), the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and The New Movement (TNM), all added respondents in the matter.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, March 28, 2020

COVID-19 is no ‘political gimmick’ -- Region Six Health Services director tells religious leaders

REGION Six Health Services Director, Jevaughn Stephen, on Friday, told Christian leaders that COVID-19 is not a gimmick and prayers and social distancing are key to keeping the virus away. He offered his views during a joint sensitisation programme hosted by the municipality in collaboration with the Regional Health Services. The sessions, held at the New Amsterdam Town Hall, was intended to have in attendance the ministers of religion within the township but just leaders, representing over 5,000 of the varying Christian denominations at-

tended. Nevertheless, they were reminded of the global effect of the coronavirus even as they were informed of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) / World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines to tackle the virus. The religious leaders were advised to adapt to shorten their service, reduce large gathering and encourage their respective congregation to stay at home and leave their homes only when necessary. "Help us to keep New Amsterdam safe and by extension Region Six, East Berbice– Corentyne," Stephen posited.

Regional Environmental Health Officer, Marvin Dindyal, also addressed the gathering which included Reverend, Mayor Winifred Haywood; Town Clerk, Sharon Alexander and other municipal administrators. "We in preventative medicine must take measures to break the links and chains of disease from person to persons. As religious leaders, you have a role to play to ensure that the message of the fact of the disease and its mode of transmission is heard by persons you interact and dwell with and to practise social distancing," he said. They were also advised

on hand-washing techniques, having hand-washing guidelines posted in proximity of sinks and the need for bins for tissue disposal. The municipality of New Amsterdam is leading the way, regionally in the fight against the coronavirus/ COVID-19. Since Guyana recorded its first (imported) case, the council has held several sensitisation sessions with vendors and business owners, sanitised the market and business complexes, shortened opening hours for the market and set a curfew for businesses in the township.

Director Health Services, Jevaugh Stephen addressing Christian leaders on Friday

Known robber shot in gunfire exchange with police A 26-year-old mason of East Rumiveldt was on Friday afternoon shot and injured by ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) after he opened fire on them. Osafo Johnson, a father two, was wanted by the police for a series of robberies. According to a police source, ranks received information that Johnson was sighted at East La Penitence Dam and proceeded to investigate. However, when they got there, Johnson opened fire, forcing ranks to do likewise. Johnson was shot and injured during the exchange, and was escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to be treated. Johnson, who currently has a pending matter at the court, is in police custody. In 2010, Johnson, who was 17 at the time, was shot and injured by ranks of the GPF in a similar altercation, after he was wanted for questioning in relation to a murder and a series of gang-related crimes. The young man was released

on $60,000 bail in relation to the said matter. Johnson also made another court appearance in September 2019 to answer to yet another robbery charge, whereby it was alleged that on August 27, 2019, at Jackson Street, North Ruimveldt, he, while in the company of others, robbed one Howard McPherson of $20,000 in cash and one Samsung cellular phone valued $40, 000. Johnson pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him. Johnson, who appeared before Magistrate Dylon Bess at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, pleaded with the magistrate to be lenient with him and offered to repay the virtual complainant for the items that were stolen. The sum of $60,000 was given to the virtual complainant, the matter was dismissed, and the defendant was released from police custody. However, Magistrate Bess placed Johnson on one years’ bond, and advised him to stay out of trouble with the police.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, March 28, 2020

Linden ‘Chamber’ backs curfew …as Reg. 10 takes steps to slow spread of coronavirus

THE Linden Chamber of Commerce (LCC), through its President, Victor Fernandes, has endorsed the curfew, which will be implemented by the Linden Mayor and Town Council in collaboration with the Regional Democratic Council from today to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Mayor of Linden, Waneka Arrindell, along with the Chamber’s President, has also sought to dispel rumours that there is going to be a ‘lockdown’, stressing that it is just a curfew because of the impending danger posed to residents by several of their actions. “Let me clear the air and announce that there is no ‘lockdown’, but rather a curfew,” Arrindell is quoted as saying in a release issued by the Region 10 RDC. Fernandes said that several of the LCCs members are happy with the curfew, as they firmly believe that it is critically important. He said that while the Chamber believes the curfew should have been implemented earlier, now is as good a

time as any to do so. “This should have been done earlier, as we recognise that the public has not come to grips with the urgency and impact of the virus,” Fernandes said, adding: “This is a serious time, and we as a Chamber recognise that it has the potential of wiping out not only lives, but ultimately several businesses. As such, stringent measures have to be put in place.” And while several businesses are firmly in support of the decision, he said, there are some small businesses that continue to exploit the situation as the opportunity presents itself. Noting that there is no earthly sense in making an extra dollar at the expense of people’s lives, Fernandes said that business owners need to recognise that by supporting the curfew, it will be forcing people to remain at home and thereby enforce the social-distancing principle. “The reality is that if businesses choose not to open, how would the public come out, as they would have nowhere to dine and congregate,” he

CDC offers delivery service to persons at quarantine

RELATIVES of persons who are currently being housed in the Ministry of Public Health’s quarantine facilities can now have items delivered to them through the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) with no cost attached. “Persons who wish to send items to their relatives in institutional quarantine or isolation should utilise the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) headquarters located at Thomas Lands, Thomas Road, Georgetown,” the commission stated in an advisory on Friday. The CDC stated that the following requirements must be met before packages are accepted. “All liquids must be tightly sealed; all items inclusive of personal items must be neatly packed in boxes and labelled with the name and contact number of the person sending and receiving the package; and perishable food items including cooked foods will not be accepted because of the risk of spoilage and contamination during transport,” the CDC said. According to the CDC, all items are subject to inspection. Alcohol, cigarettes and cash will be refused while herbs or illicit drugs will be confiscated. Persons delivering packages to the CDC should do so no later than 15:00hrs between Monday to Friday and are required to sign off the necessary documentation prepared by the agency. Additionally, anyone entering the CDC compound will be expected to comply with the hygiene/sanitation rules, if not, access would not be granted. The CDC noted that persons at the quarantine centres will be provided with meals and essential items for daily living. (DPI)

reasoned. “And that is why we, as a Chamber, firmly support this decision, as a simple drive around, and

PUBLIC AWARENESS This, he said, is why he and the Chamber continue to call for increased pub-

LCC President Victor Fernandes during a meeting at the office of Linden Mayor, Waneka Arrindell. At right is Deputy Mayor Wainewright Bethune

you would be shocked to see that several businesses are operating as if nothing is wrong.” He is of the firm belief that the owners of some bars and restaurants are encouraging patrons to act irresponsibly, as there are some people who are still unaware of COVID-19 and its far-reaching effects.

lic education. He stressed that leaving the residents to Facebook and the myths being peddled by some persons will do more harm to the Region than good. “We are seeking to ensure that, as a region, we come together to address this situation, so that at in the end, we can succeed together, thus reducing the infections and possible deaths, Fer-

nandes said. “The reality is that we are all exposed, and with the curfew being implemented, it will serve to better help us,” he added. Fernandes said while it is obvious that there are still some loopholes, “We are satisfied that the initiative being taken by the Mayor is one that should be emulated throughout Guyana. I, therefore, urge that various Chambers of Commerce around Guyana encourage the various municipalities to adopt similar measures.” Noting that the Linden Chamber will play a meaningful role in tackling the disease through the implementation of measures, Fernandes said that they will partner along with other stakeholders in providing assistance to ensure that a command centre is established in the Region, and that a hotlines are made available for 24-hour monitoring. He gave the undertaking that the Linden Chamber will ensure that requests are being made to private entities such as GTT and DIGICEL to

lend valuable assistance through the provision of handsets, so as to ensure the command centre is up and running. “The Chamber will help; we recognise that the squeeze will be significant for some,” the LCC President said, as he hastened to reassure businesspersons as well as residents that the situation requires their understanding and patience during this difficult period. “We can all get through this, once we band together, understanding that what may seem simple can, and will, save your life and those also of your family. Therefore, I urge all that we the business community would like to have an increased population, and with irresponsible behavior, it will certainly affect our population and ultimately our income,” he declared.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday March 28, 2020

Coronavirus: Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive (BBC) Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating in Downing Street. He said he had experienced mild symptoms over the past 24 hours, including a temperature and cough, but would continue to lead the government. England’s Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he had also tested positive while England’s Chief Medical Officer, Prof Chris Whitty, has shown symptoms. Another 181 people died with the virus in the past day, figures showed. It takes the total number of UK deaths to 759, with 14,543 confirmed cases. The daily coronavirus news conference was led by Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, alongside deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries and NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens. They announced plans to begin a large-scale testing programme of

health service staff, starting with critical care teams. It will later be expanded to cover social care staff too. It follows mounting criticism from NHS staff over a lack of testing - currently, only seriously-ill patients in hospital are being tested. Testing will be carried out on staff showing possible symptoms of the virus or staff who live with people who have symptoms - not for all frontline workers as a matter of course. “This will be antigen testing testing whether people currently have the disease - so that our health and social care workers can have security in the knowledge that they are safe to return to work if their test is negative,” Mr Gove said. The British Medical Association, which represents doctors, said the announcement was “long overdue” and the lack of testing so far had been “incredibly frustrating”. “For every healthy member of staff at home self-isolating need-

lessly when they do not have the virus, the NHS is short of someone who could be providing vital care to patients on the frontline,” BMA chairman Dr Chaand Nagpaul said. ‘No respecter’ Sir Simon Stevens also announced plans for two further field hospitals in Birmingham and Manchester, similar to that being readied at the ExCel centre in east London. He said that 33,000 beds - the equivalent of 50 hospitals - had been freed up across England ready for coronavirus patients. The government has imposed strict restrictions on everyday life designed to slow the spread of the virus. Mr Gove said scientific analysis suggested the rate of infection had been doubling every three to four days, but the “fantastic” public response to the restrictions would make a difference. Asked whether the prime minister and health secretary should

have been “better protected”, he said: “The fact that the virus is no respecter of individuals, whoever they are, is one of the reasons why we do need to have strict social distancing measures so that we can reduce the rate of infection and reduce the pressure on the NHS,” he added. Working from home Mr Johnson is thought to be the first world leader to announce they have the virus. He was last seen on Thursday night, clapping outside No 10 as part of a nationwide gesture to thank NHS staff and carers. In a video on his Twitter account, Mr Johnson, 55, said: “I’m working from home and self-isolating and that’s entirely the right thing to do. “But, be in no doubt that I can continue, thanks to the wizardry of modern technology, to communicate with all my top team to lead the national fight-back against coronavirus.”

The PM chaired a phone call on Friday morning, and later in the day, Downing Street said he had spoken to US President Donald Trump. “The president wished the prime minister a speedy recovery from coronavirus,” a spokesman said. “They agreed to work together closely, along with the G7, the G20, and other international partners, to defeat the coronavirus pandemic.” Mr Hancock said he was experiencing mild symptoms of the virus, and would be self-isolating until next Thursday. He told BBC Look East it was “understandable that people will ask the question” why he and the prime minister were tested, but most people with possible symptoms were not. The health secretary said there was a protocol laid down by the chief medical officer which required a small number of senior figures, key to the national effort, to be tested.

Guyana Goldfields Inc. updates its operational plans for Guyana …looking at producing 170,000 oz of gold per year from 2022 to 2026

GUYANA Goldfields Inc., on Friday, announced the results of an updated Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves estimate and an updated life of mine plan (LOM Plan) on its 100 per cent-owned Aurora Gold Mine located in Guyana, South America. According to a press release from Guyana Goldfields, the estimated total gold contained in proven and probable mineral reserves is 2.24 million ounces (Moz) and estimated total gold contained in measured and indicated mineral resources (inclusive of mineral reserves) is 3.82 Moz, representing a two per cent reduction in contained gold in year-over-year total mineral reserves. It said too that mineral reserves were estimated using a gold price of $1,200 per oz,

and mineral resources using a gold price of $1,500 per oz, consistent with the prior year’s gold price assumptions. The company said its life of mine plan estimates recovered gold production totalling 2.07 Moz at an average estimated head grade of 2.7 grams per tonne (g/t Au) over a 14-year mine life and includes a transition of the mine from open pit to underground operations by mid-2021. “Gold production is estimated to average approximately 170,000 ounces per year for the first five full calendar years (2022-2026) of underground operation at average mine-site all-in sustaining costs (“AISC”) of $970 per oz,” the release said.

The company said that under the LOM Plan, the maximum depth of the pit would be reduced by 65 metres and the majority of the ore that was previously contemplated to be mined from the Rory’s Knoll open pit would be recovered from underground operations. “This approach to the orebody is now considered more practical than continued deepening of the pit due to extensive pit stripping requirements and timing issues related to continuous ore release, among other factors,” the company said. The company said this update represents the result of a comprehensive mine, production and cost savings plan review announced by the company on October 30, 2019. The LOM Plan, the release said, including

the production schedule, capital cost estimates and mine economics, was developed before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and does not take into account any potential delays, deferrals, reduced productivity or other constraints on operations or financing that may arise from the rapidly-changing world reaction to the virus. “We believe that the new LOM Plan contemplates an attractive path forward, contingent on obtaining adequate funding to execute against it,” said Alan Pangbourne, CEO of the Company. “We look forward to negotiating a financing arrangement which will enable the company to deliver the next stage of its growth by executing on the LOM Plan contained in RPA’s report.”

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‘Don’t take adjustments for granted’

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday March 28, 2020

-CSEC students believe CXC’s decision necessary but will not reflect their true ability By Navendra Seoraj

Tatyana Ali

Saskia Butters

Hailie Caesar

Rennata Nickram

Aliea Reberio

IT’S customary for persons to rejoice when things seem easier than normal, but students, who are preparing for the upcoming Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, should ‘refrain’ from rejoicing and instead place more focus on their studies, since the adjustments to the exams by the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) should not be taken for granted. In light of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which continues to plague Guyana and other parts of the world, CXC had made a policy decision to offer a modified examination process, that will award final grades to students based on their performance in method involving moderated School Based Assessments (SBAs) and multiple-choice papers. Candidates will be required to complete additional components for modern languages, which include Spanish, French and Portuguese, as well as Human and Social Biology and Visual Arts. The council has proposed a revised schedule to administer examinations in July 2020. While these adjustments might seem easier than the expected two-paper system, students have urged their colleagues to stay focused and ensure that they “put their best foot forward” in order to pass those exams. “I think the adjustments made for the CSEC examinations have both its pros and cons. On the positive side, since the nature of the examinations will be multiple-choice, there is no room for subjectivity and students can spend their time focusing on the answers given, than having to formulate their own answers,” said a fifth form student of the St. Rose’s High School, Hailie Caesar, in an invited comment, on Friday. Although there is more time to focus on the answers before them, Caesar believes that the questions will be more challenging than usual and will not fol-

low trends from previous years. In that regard, his view is that the probability of doing well has been decreased because students are writing one paper instead of two. “As such, I encourage my fellow colleagues to study hard and make the best out of the situation,” said Caesar. Students believe the adjustments are necessary because of the current pandemic, but while the new format seems straightforward, it might be “much more difficult” and would not reflect entirely the abilities of the students. “Evidently it (the adjustments) might seem as the right path to take as we are currently facing a pandemic and our health should definitely be our main priority, but I do feel as though the exams will be much more difficult and may not reflect my abilities entirely…Paper one doesn’t give me the opportunity to express myself fully,” said Rennata Alliyah Nickram, a CSEC student of the Bishops’ High School. She believes it is “unfair” for her results to be based on just “alphabetical options” and not how she actually perceives or understands certain topics. Another CSEC student, Saskia Butters of the St. Rose’s High School, spoke along the same line as Nickram and said, “Well I don’t think that it assesses all our skills. Anybody could easily bluff their way through a multiple-choice exam, but if it were a paper two they would have to know exactly how they arrived at their answers.” LACK OF CREATIVITY “The paper two allows for so much more creativity and putting things into your own words, the way you understand it. In a paper one you’re either right or you’re wrong,” said CSEC student of Queens College, Tatyana Ali. While some persons are concerned about the absence of creativity, other stu-

dents enquired whether CXC would consider reimbursing a percentage of the amount they paid to write the examination. “Will some of it be refunded since we’ll only be writing paper one?” asked, Aliea Reberio, a CSEC student of St. Stanislaus College. Although there has been no pronouncement to that effect, CXC has said, the new measures were implemented as a result of the effects that COVID-19 has been having on the Region. “The council has proposed a revised examinations strategy to yield valid grades and minimise the disruption to the education system during these unprecedented times. This strategy will employ the

e-Testing modality (online and offline) in order to reduce the examinations administration processing time resulting in the shortest turn-around time for marking and the release of examination results. This also minimises disruption to the 2020/2021 academic year,” said CXC in a statement. The council, which falls under the aegis of CARICOM, administers CSEC and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) to secondary school students, annually, during the May/ June period. “During the past two weeks, we have been monitoring developments across the CARICOM Region and working closely with represen-

tatives from the Ministries of Education and tertiary institutions to arrive at a regional consensus for the administration of May/ June 2020 examinations,” said CXC. The council cautioned that the proposed schedule of July 2020 will be contingent on national protocols across the Region. “Rest assured that as the management and staff of the council continues to monitor the emerging situation, our first priority is the health and well-being of all our stakeholders,” the statement said. Guyana had recorded a record-breaking 77 per cent overall pass rate at the 2019 CSEC examinations.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday March 28, 2020

‘Healthcare workers being shunned’

...GPHC official says medical staff face social stigma at markets, related to coronavirus By Naomi Parris Despite having to work long hours away from their families during the fight to slow the spread of the dreaded coronavirus, nurses and doctors are being stigmatised and discriminated by the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

tors that taxi services have refused to pick them up and bring them to work, supermarkets have asked them to leave when they are in uniform or have their badges on, we basically want to let the public know that nurses especially, are frontline workers when it comes to responding to COVID-19.” Providence further stated

Guyana and they have been working hard and overtime to do so, so we want people to extend the same courtesies that they would to everyone else…additionally people should be a bit more accommodating to healthcare workers because if you should get sick or if you should need healthcare, the healthcare workers are going

“We have been receiving reports from nurses and doctors that taxi services have refused to pick them up and bring them to work, supermarkets have asked them to leave when they have their uniform or their badges on. We basically want to let the public know that nurses especially, are frontline workers when it comes to responding to COVID-19.” Manager/Head of Strategic Planning and Communication at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Chelauna Providence, in addressing a number of complaints stated, “We have been receiving reports from nurses and doc-

that nurses are constantly working overtime to slow spread of COVID-19 in Guyana, and deserve to be treated with respect during this critical period. “Our nurses and our doctors are continuously preparing for any possible situation in

to be the ones to take care of you,” she stated. Additionally, Providence stated that, the stigma that is being displayed is centered on the lack of knowledge and persons should educate themselves and adhere to the precautionary measures

Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)

set out by the health system. “With the COVID-19, the threat is basically to anyone, it’s not just doctors and nurses that people need to be concerned about and so we also want to reinforce that people should take the necessary precautions as they are advised by the health authorities, practice their handwashing, social distancing, respiratory etiquette,” she said. ‘WHY YOU PICK SHE UP’ Meanwhile, Nurse Bobb, who is attached to the GPHC, shared her experience after the news broke of Guyana’s first COVID-19 case. “My first experience that I had it was about a day or two after the news broke about the patient that died I was going home from work and I got into a bus at the 44 bus park and as soon as I went into the bus, they had people inside of the bus that had face mask and so, so soon as I got into the bus I was sitting at the front there was a middle-aged lady, she turned around and was like, ‘why you pick up this nurse’ to the bus driver,” she explained Noting that nurses are at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bobb stated that the general public should show sympathy to healthcare workers during this critical period. “Nurses, we are at the frontline, we don’t have choice, so I mean they should at least be sympa-

thetic to us …I can’t step back from the fact that this is the career that I chose and that’s another thing people have been commenting on Facebook, ‘oh but that’s the career you chose’ and I’m like yea this is what I chose but that doesn’t give you the right to victimise me,” she stated. Adding that nurses and doctors cannot adjust to the current shift/rotation system set up in the various work environments makes it even more frustrating for them. “You know how their doing the whole shift system now, you work you stay home you work, I’ve been working overtime, like I’m tired but I still have to come to work because I can’t leave the patients undone because their still sick patients coming,” she stated. APPALLING BEHAVIOUR In expressing her frustration and disappointment the nurse stated, “it’s kind of appalling that this is how the general public are treating the healthcare workers that they still have to turn around and ask for help at the end of the day.” Nurse Anthony, who is also attached to GPHC, noted that he too was has faced some discrimination when using public transportation since the news broke of the country’s first case of the virus. He added that he has grown frustrated of the pestering of people and has

resorted to walking with a set of change of clothes to change before leaving work to avoid stigmatisation. Anthony also revealed that he also experienced some discrimination from a member of the Guyana Police Force, stating that he was told by a police officer that he could not enter a public building because he was a nurse. SHUNNED AT CID “I went to the CID to visit my sister and the police at the gate said that nurses can’t come into the compound because the corona virus is by the hospital,” the young man stated. Meanwhile, Nurse Goodridge noted that there is discrimination among her peers which fills her with disappointment since her colleagues should know better. “It all goes back to knowledge and information being carried out because for instance, what I think in this time in corona …I think the population has become so insensitive even though we have so many articles online saying that corona virus doesn’t discriminate whether you’re royal, rich, poor, male, female, in between corona does not discriminate but at the same time we as health workers and colleagues know coughing and sneezing is a natural reflex action that we have been doing since birth,” she stated.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, March 28, 2020

MoPH looking into concerns of persons who returned from Barbados THE Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has looked into the concerns of the persons who were quarantined on Wednesday night immediately after arriving in the country on a chartered flight from Barbados. One of the quarantined passengers shared that the MoPH’s permanent secretary met with them on Thursday to listen to their concerns, and has begun to put measures in place to address them, such as ensuring adequate spacing between persons so that they can properly adhere to social distancing. “I'm very happy; it seems like things will be better from now on. Many facilities are being upgraded,” one of the quarantined passengers shared. The passenger further explained: “After the PS left, an entire team came to clean out. They said every day they’re going to come; that is excellent. We have proper communication with them now, and they’re providing things. We see that they regretted what happened, because we received apologies. They’re setting up some flat- screen TVs, so we’re very grateful. Things are looking up.” Family members were also given an opportunity to send supplies to those being quarantined. Seventeen persons arrived on the flight on Wednesday, which landed at the Eugene Correira International Airport, after special arrangements were worked out between the passengers and the government to allow them to return to Guyana, since the country’s airports are currently closed to international passenger flights. The cancellation of the international flights was one among a list of measures that the country has put in place to guard against the spread of the coronavirus. On arrival, tension developed among some of the passengers, their family members and authorities at the airport. The National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) reported that some of the passengers attempted to resist being placed in quarantine and wanted to be able to meet their family. “The NCTF is dismayed at the conduct and behaviour of some of the passengers who sought and were granted special permission to return to Guyana from Barbados… Some of the persons raised objections about not being permitted to ‘see’, ‘hug’ and ‘kiss’ their relatives, who ill-advisedly gathered at the airport at which they arrived,” the NCTF has said in a statement issued on the situation. According to a family member of one passenger, the issue arose when the authorities refused to relay to their relatives where the passengers were being taken. However, they could not say if some of the other passengers may have indeed tried to resist quarantine. The persons who came in on the flight noted that not all of the passengers seemed to have agreed to the quarantine before arriving at the airport in Barbados. Nonetheless, he said the passengers were informed of the quarantine prior to leaving Barbados. “It came with the stipulation that we would have to quarantine, and we

agreed to the quarantine. There was a person who said she doesn’t want to be quarantined, and we told her to stay. She’s currently in Barbados right now,” he said. Though most of the passengers were students, several persons were not. He informed

that while the students were told about and agreed to the quarantine, the other persons did not seem to want to be in full compliance. “When we arrived at the airport [in Barbados], we were told we will be quarantined when we land, and were asked, ‘Are you still

travelling?’ even before we hand them our passport. We know that there was a measure of quarantine, however, there were some older persons, and they were telling everyone that they were not told about a quarantine,” he shared.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, March 28, 2020

Man burns down house then runs away

A 40-year-old man is being sought by police in Berbice after he allegedly set fire to his home, completely destroying it, while threatening to burn his neighbours’ property. Rajendra Balkaran, a cattle rancher of Bound Yard, Port Mourant, made good on his threats of burning his home down on Friday evening at around 20:20hrs. According to a neighbour, Jyoti Rajaram, she was inside of her home when she heard Balkaran using a series of indecent language and hitting a cutlass against his fence shouting for “cloth” to set a fire in his house. She added that minutes later, she saw a ball of flame emerging from the bedroom area of the man’s home. An alarm was raised and the fire service was

contacted. They arrived promptly and were able to control the blaze but were unable to save the house which was a one-flat two bedroom wooded structure. The Guyana Chronicle understands that Balkaran, who lives alone, is an alcoholic who would constantly verbally abuse those around him and often threaten to destroy the house he occupies. A neighbour’s house received minor dam age due to the intensity of flames. Residents had formed a bucket brigade to soak the house to the side with mud and water to avoid damage from the flames. Following the incident, Balkaran made good his escape and up to press time reminds on the run.

The remains of the house that was burnt on Friday

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, March 28, 2020

Staffers at West Demerara Regional Hospital worried -- after death of patient suspected to have COVID-19 By Tamica Garnett STAFF of the West Demerara Regional Hospital, on Friday, refused to enter the hospital compound and assembled outside after a patient presenting symptoms of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) died at the hospital on Wednesday. The nurses of the hospital are calling for more protective gear, cleaning agents and to be paid a risk allowance. According to reports, the man, who is from the West Coast Demerara, visited the hospital on Wednesday and was seen coughing up blood and had a fever. He is said to have developed the symptoms five days after visiting a friend from overseas. He died at approximately 13:00hrs at the hospital. “It’s not confirmed that he’s positive but he came in with signs of it so right now, to be honest, we just praying for it to be negative but we waiting on the test result,” a hospital official said. Efforts made to contact Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence; Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Shamdeo Persaud and Deputy CMO, Karen Boyle, to confirm whether or not the patient was being tested proved futile. Nurses who dealt with the patient were sent home and asked to self-isolate. The dead man’s wife, who was with him at the hospital, was also sent home. However, the wife allegedly returned to the hospital and was standing among the persons gathered outside the hospital on Thursday. According to persons gathered, a woman that was there identified herself as the wife of the man who died. She later left the scene. “We didn’t even know, is til she talk then we move. Until she said it was her husband, and when we move off then she disappeared,” one of the persons gathered noted.

Persons questioned why she was not placed in quarantine pending the results. “At the said time she was in there [at the hospital] last night they were supposed to keep her. ‘Til you’re sure then you gon’ put her in quarantine? By then she done spread it,” one of the staff who refused to enter the compound said. The staff had gathered outside of the hospital after they were met with closed gates when they turned up for work as early at 06:00hrs on Thursday. According to reports, this was after the nurses for the screening area set up at the hospital did not turn up for work. A tent was set up at the hospital to create a screening area where persons seeking medical services at the hospital are first screened for symptoms of the virus. However, when the gate was subsequently opened to the staff, they reportedly still refused to enter the compound. When the Guyana Chronicle visited the scene on Wednesday morning, the staffers were still gathered on the street outside of the hospital. Regional Executive Officer, Jennifer Ferreira-Dougall, subsequently came and met with the staff which included nurses, janitorial and some administration staff. The REO pledged to have the hospital sanitised and the staff promised to return to work on completion of the activity. She also listened to the concerns of the staff and promised to have them addressed. She noted that as it pertains to the financial compensation for the staff, “that is being worked out”. Government agencies are currently working with a restricted budget as no national budget has yet been passed, pending the impending results of the March 2 elections to facilitate the installation of a new National

Assembly in Parliament. In such cases, the law provides for government agencies to spend up to one twelfth of their budget from the previous year.

Regional Executive Officer, Jennifer Ferreira-Dougall (with face mask) meeting with staff gathered outside the West Demerara Regional Hospital on Friday (Tamica Garnett photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, March 28, 2020

Ministries helping City Council fight against COVID-19 THE Ministries of Public Health and Communities have been working along with the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to come up with various strategies of combating the dreaded COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019). So far, 80 per cent of the work to sanitiSe municipal buildings, inside and out, has been completed as of Friday, Head of M&CC’s Public Health Department, Suzette Reynolds, told the Guyana Chronicle. A number of sluices, kokers, and constabulary outposts will also be sanitised, while the next plan includes sanitising ministries and other public places. The agencies, according to Reynolds, are now discussing the possibility of installing sinks at various locations where municipal

Mayor Ubraj Narine

services are being offered, so as to benefit the public. The Ministry of Public Health will also be lending staff of its Vector Control Department to the M&CC to assist with works. Reynolds, at a recent press conference to detail the council’s plans, stated: “We are committing to pro-

Head of M&CC Public Health Department, Suzette Reynolds

viding mass sanitisation of public spaces starting from the municipal buildings, then we hope to extend this to the public spaces like the ministries of government, places in central Georgetown that persons congregate frequently.” She also encouraged per-

sons who have the necessary disinfectants, such as bleach and Jeyes fluid, to call the council for assistance in spraying their premises. Georgetown Mayor, Ubraj Narine, has since disclosed that the municipality was given a commitment from the Guyana Fire Service to have the municipal markets washed several times a week. He offered that the council is paying keen attention to the use of public washrooms and portable restrooms, and that strict guidelines will have to be implemented, such as the provision of hand sanitisers and soap, so that persons can clean their hands properly after using the washrooms. He called on all food-handling businesses to be extra careful when preparing meals and to follow all hygienic and preventive measures outlined by the Ministry of Public Health and World Health Organisation.

M&CC settles arrears of $63M with GPSCCU –– employees free to access loans THE Georgetown Mayor and City Council on Friday announced that it has successfully settled its arrears with the Guyana Public Service Co-operative Credit Union Limited (GPSCCU). Mayor of Georgetown, His Worship Pandit Ubraj Narine, told DPI that a total of $63M was paid to the union, and has since cleared the council’s debts. This major achievement, the mayor said, now provides a better relationship for his members of staff and the GPSCCU. “When I became mayor that was the amount owed. From then to now we have cleared off that $63 plus million. We tried to pay an average of $5M monthly to the credit union,” the mayor explained. According to City Treasurer, John Douglas, payments to the account commenced in March of last year and were completed last month. Douglas disclosed that dependent on the municipality’s monthly cash income, approximately $5M was deposited at GPSCCU. He said the previous situation had significantly affected employees at the city council. “They were unable to access service from the credit union; they could not have access loans. Interest was accumulating on persons who had outstanding loan balance,” he disclosed. “The account is paid in full and we will continue to honour our obligations to make sure that such situation does not reoccur,” Douglas remarked. The GPSCCU is a financial institution that offers loans to its members who are or have been employees in the Public Sector of Guyana.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday March 28, 2020

Urgent, stringent measures needed to stem COVID-19

-- UN rep. suggests work-from-home, limiting movements to essential errands UNITED Nations (UN) resident coordinator, Mikiko Tanaka has called on the government to introduce urgently, more stringent measures to stem COVID-19. In a statement on Friday, Tanaka said these measures include working from home in public and private institutions except for essential services, limiting people’s movements to essential errands. “The UN System stands ready to provide advice and assistance in elaborating and implementing a national response plan that covers the health sector and other socio-economic sectors to help citizens cope with the impact of the COVID-19 response and in particular to protect the most vulnerable. This will build on the critical ongoing support from PAHO/WHO and other UN agencies,” the UN resident coordinator said. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic rages worldwide with 465,915 confirmed cases and 21,031 deaths – at an unprecedented scale and speed. Guyana, Tanaka said, is not insulated from the pan-

UN resident coordinator, Mikiko Tanaka

demic and even with the five cases and one death, there is no room for complacency. “We have seen rapid acceleration from low numbers in many countries. Prevention is critical and urgent,” she said. The Ministry of Public Health and national authorities initiated preventive measures in late January, starting with health and border quarantine procedures. With the confirmation of the first case on March 11, health response capacities have been enhanced and

other measures were taken including the suspension of international commercial flights, temporary closure of schools, border closures and public information and advisories for hygiene and social distancing. The private sector and religious community have started to take some voluntary measures to protect their staff and congregation and to help healthcare workers and citizens. Linden and New Amsterdam have taken the initiative to enforce lockdown measures to limit

Citizens Bank offers ‘pandemic relief’ to customers

...ATM, late payment fees on loans waived ...extension to repayment period among relief efforts AS it considers its corporate social responsibilities in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, local financial institution, Citizens Bank, will be deferring loan payments to its credit customers affected by the virus on a case-by-case basis for a period of six months. In addition, the bank will be restructuring loans for customers whose loans have been impacted by the virus and according to a statement released by the bank on Friday, restructuring may be include a moratorium on repayment of principal and interest and an extension to the repayment period. Among the immediate steps to be implemented to assist all its customers, the bank said that all ATM (automatic teller machine) and EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) fees will be waived for a period of 90 days. In addition payroll credit fees and late

fees on loan payments as well as credit card fees will also be waived for the next 90 days. Customers who wish to find out if they qualify for the pandemic relief are asked to contact the bank at info@ citizensbankgy.com Citizens Bank noted that it has implemented social distancing measures and as such, a limit has been placed on the number of persons who wish to transact business with the

bank at any given time. The bank said that hand sanitising measures have been implemented at its branches and the frequency of cleaning and sanitising has been increased, including at its ATMs. The bank urged customers to limit ‘in branch’ visits and utilise its online or ATM banking services as well as night depository during this time.

social gathering and movements. “We commend the health workers who are working around the clock in a highstress and high-risk environment to respond to the outbreak. We have to protect the physical and mental health of these health workers and to keep the caseload manageable by stemming the spread. Prevention is critical.” “Social gatherings and movements of people are the biggest risk in the spread of COVID-19. We are very concerned that social gatherings are continuing despite public advisories discouraging this for some time,” the statement from the diplomat concluded.

‘Badman’ Bryan Mackintosh arrested for issuing threats to public officials

FOLLOWING the circulation of a video in which he can be heard making threats of ‘bloodbath’ to several public officials, businessman Bryan ‘Max’ Mackintosh has been arrested by the police and an immediate investigation into his actions has commenced. Mackintosh, who resides at Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara, turned himself into the police at CID Headquarters, Eve Leary on Friday, in the company of his lawyer. Mackintosh shot the video earlier this week as he drove around in his vehicle. He could be heard in the expletive-laden video calling on other politicians to engage him in a ‘bloodbath’. “Come and learn tonight, come and learn wah bad man is about, come at the back where the containers is … come out and learn tonight,” he can be heard saying on the video. Mackintosh called the names of Attorney General, Basil Williams; Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, and attorney James Bond in his expletive-laden video as he issued his threats. Mackintosh is one of several persons who have formed the so called ‘Guardians of Democracy’ group

Bryan ‘Max’ Mackintosh

which has been staging 24hour vigils outside the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The group of dozens of opposition supporters has been keeping daily watch on the containers which hold the ballot boxes from the March 2, 2020 regional and general elections. Each political party is said to have locks to the containers holding the ballot boxes. Photographs of the group, which have erected tents at the location, appeared on social media this week, and members of the public have noted that the large gathering has paid scant regard to the health issues related to the spread of the of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday March 28, 2020

Some boat operators not implementing measures against COVID-19

EVEN though Guyana continues the fight against the deadly COVID-19 outbreak, a few boat operators who ply the Georgetown to Vreed-en-Hoop route have not been implementing the precautionary measures set out by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). During a visit to the Stabroek Market Stelling on Thursday morning, Guyana Chronicle observed some boat operators were taking very little measures to protect themselves and commuters who travel with them on a daily basis. Andy Moffett, a boat operator who plies the Georgetown to Vreed-en-Hoop route, when asked how often he cleans the life

jackets on his boat said, “I does clean the boat every trip but I does clean the life jacket every two weeks.” On the other hand, Moffett stated that, in the coming week, he will decrease the number of passengers he takes per trip. “Right now I taking like 33 passengers per trip but from next week I’ll be taking like 23 only so that passengers will be spaced out like arm’s length.” Another boat operator, Davendra Ramnauth, said that since the outbreak of COVID-19, he has decreased the numberof passengers he takes per trip. “For now, we using lil Fabuloso but from next week we gone sanitise the boat and thing but right now we carrying a small amount of

Davendra Ramnauth

Luknauth is one of few boat operators implementing precautionary measures to protect himself and passengers against COVID-19

Andy Moffett, a boat operator who plies the Georgetown to Vreed-en-Hoop route

passengers so you know everybody not gone deh crowd up next to each other.” Meanwhile, another boat operator who gave his name as “Luknauth” revealed that he has not yet adopted the social distancing rule; however, in the coming week, he will decrease the number of passengers he takes per trip. He said he cleans his boat and life jackets every trip to protect himself and those who

travel with him. “We carrying the full load for now but, from Monday, we gone fetch less people; but for now I got some things I does rub my hand up with you know, my lil hand sanitizer and so. I got some bleach and so that I does wipe out the boat every trip I take. Also I does wipe up the life jacket every trip you know wipe down the neck and so,” said Luknauth.

Bartica Regatta 2020 postponed due to COVID-19

THE annual Easter-time activity in Bartica, popularly known as Regatta, was sadly postponed until further notice, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This news was relayed to the Guyana Chronicle by the Mayor of the township, Gifford Marshall, who said that all plans had been moving apace to promote domestic and international tourism through the annual Bartica Easter Regatta. But in the face of the current COVID-19 realities, he said the Bartica Regatta Organising Committee has taken a decision to postpone this year’s Regatta activities to a date to be announced. “We regret that this decision has to be taken, but as a caring organising committee, we do believe that it would not be in our best interest to put the lives of our citizens, tourists and by extension Guyana, at risk at a time when the world is grappling with this pandemic,” Marshall said. He added too that, “We stand in support of putting Guyana and its people first in keeping with His Excellency President David Granger and the task force’s decision to actively take precautionary measures to reduce the spread of the disease. The no promotion of any large gathering events is one such measure. We encourage all to

practice social distancing and regular and proper sanitisation. When it is possible, the committee will provide information on the rescheduling of Bartica Regatta 2020.” The Bartica Regatta activities have been a customary event for several decades. What started out as a small community activity, grew into one of the largest tourist activities, and played a great role in making Bartica a well-known town. The weekend-long activity usually comprises of a plethora of events including boat, Jet Ski and dirt bike races, beach parties and activities for children, a beauty pageant, night life shows and many more fun activities that bring the people of the township together, and attract others to come to the township. This is a highly anticipated activity, and its postponement has saddened the people, but they are conscious of what is happening before them. In fact, all Easter weekend events have been canceled due to the virus. Even the annual Guyana Carnival, which was slated for May, has also been called off. The people of Guyana are, at this time, taking the advised precautionary measures to ensure their safety until this epidemic has passed.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday March 28, 2020

Special room at Suddie Hospital to deal with COVID-19

By Indrawattie Natram REGIONAL Executive Officer of Region Two, Denis Jaikarran, has said that a special room has been set up at the Suddie Public Hospital to deal with coronavirus patients. The room will also be used to keep patients who are tested positive for the virus and for those that are under quarantine. He made this disclosure at a special meeting held recently with a high-level team of the Anna Regina Town Council. The team included Mayor, Rajendra Prabhualall; Deputy Mayor, Rudolph Williams;

Town Clerk, Diane Critchlow; health inspectors; councillors and staff. Speaking to the team in the boardroom of the council, Jaikarran said screening is currently being done at the Suddie Public Hospital and blood samples are sent to National Transfusion Service/blood bank for testing. At the moment, there are no confirmed cases in the region; however, the Regional Administration, in collaboration with the Department of Public Health and major stakeholders, are taking the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus.

Health workers screening a patient at the Suddie Hospital before he enters the medical facility

Meat vendors and stall owners operating in both Bourda and Stabroek markets aiding in the fight against COVID-19 IN an effort to contain the spread of the Coronavirus, vendors and operators of meat stalls in both Bourda and Stabroek markets are adhering to the precautionary measures that were put in place by the Ministry of Public Health. This publication paid a visit to both markets and spoke to stall owners, who pointed out that, before they deliver meat, inclusive of fish, to their customers, they ensure that the countertops, on which the products are displayed, are properly and thoroughly sanitised. “We normally wash down the counter to make sure that the surface is clean. When I arrive in the mornings, the girls normally ensure the countertops are clean, before the day’s sale begins. “One vendor told Guyana Chronicle. The Vendors reported that, since the call to adopt precautionary measures, there was a significant decrease in revenue as well as customers, but, nevertheless, business was still being engaged in but at a slow rate. The Ministry of Public Health had issued an advisory which encourages citizens to ensure that they practise proper handling, preparation and thorough cooking of meat before eating. The vendors pointed out that they were taking precautionary measures to ensure that they were protected and the spread of COVID-19 was contained. Currently, the coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread across the world and the World Health Organization (WHO), on March 11, characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic.

Mayor of Anna Regina reaching out to stakeholders in Anna Regina

Mayor of Anna Regina, Rajendra Prabhulall, along with his deputy and health inspectors met with vendors, business owners, taxi and minibus operators to spread awareness on the virus. Persons were encouraged to practice good hygiene and to wash their hands regularly. Some of the council’s preventative measures include the installation of pipes and sinks at public places within the markets, car parks and commercial areas along the Essequibo Coast. Detergent will be made available for public use. Mayor Prabhulall said this is being

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done to encourage persons to wash their hands before they go about their business. The staff of the council will also stay home and work on a rotation shift to avoid a crowd. The Bush Lot and Anna Regina markets will be opened from 07:00 hours and closed at 14:00 hours daily. Commercial banks will be closed at noon until further notice. This was implemented within the township of Anna Regina to fight against COVID-19 and to safeguard citizens in the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday March 28, 2020

CARICOM competition Commission commits consumer protection during coronavirus pandemic

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is an unprecedented challenge for the small economies of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). With Member States closing borders, recommending social

distancing and closure of main economic activities such as dining out, “staycations” and other community gatherings, it is fair to say that COVID - 19 has not only impacted the very social fabric of Member

States but also commercial and consumer welfare within the Region. It is natural that small to medium businesses would be required to scale down their operations to protect employees. This results in disrup-

tions in the delivery of services and products to consumers. There have also been notable surges in the demand for groceries, personal protective equipment, and healthcare items in recent weeks across the Region, leading

to shortages in supplies of these products. These demand and supply shocks have invariably led to price increases throughout the Member States, to the detriment of their most economically vulnerable consumers (i.e. the impoverished). The misinformed are also now susceptible to marketing ploys for goods or services claiming to cure, treat or prevent COVID 19. The CARICOM Competition Commission (CCC) believes that through its regional competition and consumer mandates within the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (RTC), the challenges to commercial and consumer welfare associated with COVID-19 can be minimized. The CCC’s two main priorities are always: ensuring consumers in the region benefit from competitive markets through competition advocacy and enforcement; and promoting the protection of the health and safety of consumers in the Member States. The Commission is of the view that the sale and/ or promotion of fraudulent products or services that promise to treat, cure or prevent COVID 19 is a threat to the regional public health and prohibited under the national consumer protection and/ or other relevant national legislation in the region. The CCC further affirms that anti-competitive business conduct aimed at taking advantage of consumers by restricting access or supply to, or excessively raising or maintaining high prices of necessary goods and other items used to protect consumers from COVID 19, is prohibited under the Community Competition Policy and national competition laws in the Member States that have enacted such laws. To ensure that regional public health is secured and competition in the

markets for the supply of goods and items used to protect consumers from COVID 19 are maintained, the CCC will collaborate with its regional partners, such as national competition and consumer protection authorities, sector regulators, non-government consumer organisations, and other regional institutions to: * Engage in competition advocacy to encourage firms to behave responsibly in pricing their products during this pandemic * Ensure and/or facilitate communication by relevant authorities with businesses and consumers to report sale and pricing practices that are suspected of infringing national competition or consumer protection laws. * Monitor markets as to whether firms are engaging in conduct which substantially impedes effective competition in markets in key product markets. * Encourage direct enforcement action against firms that individually or collectively engage in anti-competitive business conduct. For example, firms colluding to fix or charge excessive prices for key products or marketing fraudulent products that claim to prevent, cure or treat COVID 19. * Advocate for the fast track implementation of national competition and consumer protection laws in Member States without such laws to assist in the ability of agencies to respond effectively to unscrupulous sales and pricing practices in the region. * Promote a region-wide monitoring policy for prices of critical products and services (voluntary or otherwise) such as selected food and health and safety related items in Member States where market conditions do not currently support effective competition.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday March 28, 2020

All City Council meetings cancelled until further notice

-- but council business must go on ALL meetings of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), including statutory and committee meetings, have been cancelled until further notice, but acting Town Clerk, Sherry Jerrick, has assured stakeholders that the municipality will be taking other steps to ensure that the council’s business continues. According to information reaching the Guyana Chronicle, a number of councillors expressed concern over atTown Clerk (Ag), Sherry Jerrick

Councillor David Allicock

tending such meetings when the council met for an extraordinary statutory meeting last March 17. The cancellation is in keeping with the municipality’s effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019), Jerrick told this publication on Thursday. According to her, administrative matters are currently being dealt with, but those requiring a decision from council will make use of the ‘round robin’ process, as long as it’s an important matter needing urgent action. The ‘round robin’ facility allows for the necessary documents to be taken to each councillor, wherever they are, for them to indicate their approval or not. Just in case the authorities decide that a complete lockdown of the country is necessary, Jerrick informed that an administrative Skype account has already been set up to allow for the council to conduct their meetings online. Meanwhile, Councillor Bishram Kuppen told this publication that he has been expecting calls from the administration of matters of importance. He noted that other than the routine business of the administration, there ought to be no new decision or policy. In fact, he said nothing should take place without the knowledge of the council. Councillor David Allicock offered that the decision

not to meet may be in the best interest of everyone as the Council Chamber is usually filled with many persons who have to spend long hours there. He opined that the office of the Town Clerk will have to utilise some kind of software that will allow councillors to have meetings online. He said the meetings

Councillor Bishram Kuppen

cannot remain suspended as the council’s business has to go on. Meanwhile, the M&CC has issued a public notice appealing to bars, clubs and night spots to observe all protocols as it relates to the prevention of COVID-19. The municipality is also asking the public to use MMG to pay their general rates. The council has announced that it will be sanitising public spaces to mitigate the spread of the said disease. Head of the Public Health Department, Suzette Reynolds, has since said that the council is committed to providing mass sanitisation of public spaces starting from the municipal buildings. It is hoped that this will be extended to public spaces like the ministries of government and places in central Georgetown where persons congregate frequently.

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Difficult decisions will have to be made in English football (BBC) - “Difficult decisions will have to be taken” to counter the financial impact of coronavirus on English football, say the Premier League, EFL and Professional Footballers’ Association. All games have been postponed until at least April 30 and will resume only “when it is safe and conditions allow”. A Premier League, EFL and PFA statement said their thoughts “continue to be with everyone affected by the virus”. “We have agreed to work together to arrive at shared solutions,” it added. Further meetings were set for next week “with a

Leicester beat Aston Villa 4-0 on March 9 - the last Premier League action. view to formulating a joint plan to deal with the difficult circumstances facing the leagues, their clubs, players, staff and fans”. Premier League clubs were already due to meet again on April 3, when it is almost certain the current postponement of all matches until April 30 will be extended again. That could take it past the official end of the EFL league season and towards the last round of Premier League fixtures, which was supposed to be on May 17. Players at some clubs across Europe - including Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund - have agreed to take temporary pay cuts. While the fate of the Premier League and EFL seasons remains unclear, FA has already cancelled all nonleague campaigns in steps three to seven in the pyramid. More than 30 clubs are willing to challenge that decision - meaning no promotion or relegation which is yet to be ratified by the FA council.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Saturday March 28, 2020) COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) & amp; CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD- 83 Garnett street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) 269-Adam Voges (Hobart, 2015-16) (2) 277-Brian Lara (Sydney, 1992-93)

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Who is the first WI to take a Test match hattrick? (2) Who is the first Australian player to take a hattrick in Tests?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, March 28, 2020

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NFL draft to continue as scheduled

(BBC) - The 2020 NFL draft is to go ahead as scheduled next month but players, fans and media will not be present because of the coronavirus pandemic. It will be held April 23-25 in a television studio, with players interviewed via video conference. The draft was due to take place in Las Vegas and NFL had already cancelled all public events. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said it “can serve a very positive purpose for our clubs, our fans, and the country”. He added: “There is no assurance that we can select a different date and be confident that conditions will be significantly more favourable than they are today.” The NFL draft is one of the biggest

events in the United States’ sporting calendar, with all 32 teams recruiting talent from the American collegiate system amid wall-to-wall media coverage. About 500 000 fans attended last year’s draft in Nashville. In a memo sent to franchises, Goodell said: “We will not be bringing prospects and their families to the draft and the draft itself will be conducted and televised in a way that reflects current conditions. “All clubs should now be doing the necessary planning to conduct draft operations in a location outside of your facility, with a limited number of people present, and with sufficient technology resources to allow you to communicate internally, with other clubs, and with draft headquarters.”

Hadad named head of TTFA Normalisation Committee (CMC) – Businessman Robert Hadad has been named to chair the normalisation committee appointed by football’s world governing body FIFA, to run the affairs of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA). In a statement issued yesterday, FIFA said Hadad, the 53-year-old CEO of family-owned company Hadco, will chair the committee while Judy Daniel will serve as deputy chairperson. Nigel L. Romano was also named a member of the committee and FIFA said that after consultation with continental governing body, CONCACAF, it will appoint two more members in the coming days. “The members of the TTFA normalisation committee will assume their duties with immediate effect, and, as per standard procedure, will have to pass an eligibility check. Their confirmation will be contingent Robert Hadad has been named chairupon the outcome of the eligibility check,” person of the FIFA normalisation committee. FIFA said. Last Tuesday, the Zurich-based institution year mandate. “The specified period of time during announced the decision to remove the TTFA which the normalisation committee will perBoard and appoint a normalisation commitform its functions will expire as soon as it has tee, following a joint assessment of the TTFA fulfilled all of its assigned tasks, but no later carried out by itself and CONCACAF, found than 24 months after its members have been “extremely low overall financial management officially appointed by FIFA,” the governing methods, combined with a massive debt”, body said. leaving the local body “facing a very real risk FIFA added that the committee will act of insolvency and illiquidity”. as an electoral committee, and none of its The mandate of the committee is to: run members will be eligible for any of the open the TTFA’S daily affairs; establish a debt positions in the TTFA elections under any repayment plan that is implementable by the circumstances. TTFA; review and amend the TTFA Statutes The appointment of the normalisa(and other regulations where necessary) and tion committee was criticised by TTFA to ensure compliance with the FIFA Statutes president William Wallace who said the and requirements, before duly submitting association would mount a challenge to them for approval to the TTFA Congress; the decision at the Court of Arbitration and to organise and conduct elections of a for Sport (CAS). new TTFA Executive Committee for a four-

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Langer searches for silver lining amid cricket shutdown AMID the apocalyptic landscape of frightened communities and floundering economies, Australia men’s team coach Justin Langer is searching for threads of positivity among the heaviness blanketing life across the globe. Langer, who has seen three of his daughters lose their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 fallout, points to the enforced break his players are currently undertaking as a “silver lining”, given many were showing signs of mental and physical exhaustion as last summer neared its end. As a serving board member of West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League, whose season was postponed this month after the completion of one round, Langer is conscious of and empathetic to those sporting codes that have been drastically affected. However, having witnessed the toll taken on the men’s team after an unprecedented 12 months that included a World Cup and Ashes campaign in the UK plus a hectic home schedule, he concedes a number of his players were already eyeing a prospective lay-off before it became an enforced hiatus. “From a personal point of view, I’m trying to encourage our players to find some silver lining out of it,” Langer said, in a video-conference interview from home in Perth today. “What I mean by that is we’re at the back end of our season, and if we can use it as effectively as possible to give ourselves a physical and mental break, it’s very important. “This is like nirvana in that we’re home with our families, we sleep in our own beds, we eat home-cooked dinners and we can still work in one degree or another from home. “We identified in South Africa (during the recent limited-overs tour) that a number of our players were physically and mentally exhausted. “We had all winter with the World Cup and the Ashes then into our summer … and some of them come straight from IPL to the World Cup. “The point is, it gives them a really good opportunity to recharge and we’re looking at scenarios to make sure we’ll be ready for whatever comes up.” In a pre-pandemic world, the national men’s team would currently be in the midst of a three-match T20 series in New Zealand while, at home, the Marsh Sheffield Shield final would have been scheduled to begin yesterday

WA all-rounder Cameron Green (March 27). But the social isolation measures and travel restrictions applied to try and combat the coronavirus’s global spread means cricket’s leading men’s and women’s players worldwide are instead confined to home, with no likelihood that competitive sport will resume any time soon. That would put paid to the Indian Premier League (currently postponed until April 15 with India having recently invoked a three-week nationwide lockdown), while doubts also remain over Australia’s proposed Test tour to Bangladesh (scheduled for June) and subsequent ODI campaign in the UK. Also in limbo is a proposed limited-overs series against Zimbabwe that would likely have been staged in Australia’s top end in August, as well as the one-off Test match against Afghanistan and potentially the ICC’s men’s T20 World Cup which was to have kickedoff the 2020-21 home summer. Despite the uncertainty over when and how cricket might resume some sort of normality, Langer remains in regular contact with his players and holds no doubt they will observe ongoing fitness and training regimes while in isolation and be ready to resume playing when restrictions are lifted. “I’ll be very, very surprised if all our guys aren’t working very hard,” he said. “Part of their lifestyle now, as professional athletes, is they will keep themselves nice and fit. “We don’t have the same formalised opportunities to do that (but) I also look at that really positively. “Guys have to take responsibility

for staying healthy, staying fit, and working out how they will get the balance right between using the time for that and being healthy (mentally) with it. “We know we can’t sit on our hands, we don’t know how long this will last. “It’s always difficult to stay motivated when you haven’t got a concrete goal in front of you. “But we have to be ready and organised for what we have - the next few months will go very quickly, and we just have to be ready.” Langer confirmed CA planned to announce its list of centrally contracted players next week, and indicated selectors had all-but agreed on the make-up of the touring party for the two Tests in Bangladesh before that campaign was placed in serious doubt. The medium-term concern – given potential abandonment of the IPL and other international fixtures planned for mid-year – is the lack of match practice players will receive ahead of the T20 World Cup, which is currently scheduled to begin in Australia in October. Langer said the cancellation of Australia’s planned NZ tour meant younger players who might have shown their wares were denied that opportunity. But he remains hopeful there will be international matches scheduled between now and the World Cup’s planned beginning to assess the candidates. If international competition remains in hiatus, he indicated that CA would look at “manufacturing” their own matches to ensure the team was ade-

quately prepared. He described his team’s 0-3 ODI series defeat at the hands of South Africa earlier this month as a “blip” that had more to do with the Proteas’ performances than Australia’s shortcomings and added his outfit continued to head in a “very, very positive direction” after a dominant home summer. “I think one or two positions in our World Cup side are up for grabs,” Langer said. “It’s a very, very settled team (and) the way our T20 side is playing has been brilliant. “Our T20 performance - we were undefeated in Australia (during the summer) - is an unbelievable achievement. “It would have been nice to play some more games, and for some of our younger players to be subjected to the pressure which is definitely going to come in the World Cup. “World Cups are very hard to win but in terms of selection, I’m not too stressed about it. “The most important part will be for us to get match practice, and we’ll make sure we either manufacture it or we’ll have plenty of that if this crisis slows down quicker than we think.” While calls for WA all-rounder Cameron Green to earn a national cap grow louder, Langer indicated the 20-year-old would likely need to show he can contribute with ball as well as bat before he would be considered for limited-overs selection. Green was the only batter to score three centuries in the recently completed Shield season, but his bowling was curtailed when he suffered a stress fracture in his back earlier in the summer and he has only recently resumed bowling at practice in Perth. “He’s had a very good year, he’s obviously talented, and he’s a very, very good all-round player as well,” said Langer, who was formerly the coach of WA. “We selected him initially in WA as a bowler, but he’s still got a long way to go. “The number six (batting) position, we know the need to be able to score hundreds in Test cricket, and we know traditionally in one-day cricket we need them to be able to bowl at least 10 overs, or some overs to help with the set-up of our team.” (Cricket.com.au)

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HERO CPL to broadcast classic matches with new live commentary with Grabyo WITH no live sport currently available, the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has partnered with Cloud Video Production platform Grabyo to create a unique and innovative content experience for cricket fans to enjoy. From next week, CPL will be broadcasting classic matches from the last seven years of the tournament, but with a twist. They will be broadcast as if they are live, with the first game going ‘live’ around the globe via CPL’s Facebook and YouTube channels on Tuesday, March 31. In an industry first, rather than airing the original commentary, CPL has enlisted its world-class broadcasting team, including Tom Moody, Danny Morrison, Ian Bishop, Daren Ganga and Alex Jordan to commentate live on the action. To make each match as realistic as possible, CPL will not give any of the match information to the commentary team before the game starts. Their reactions and comments will be as if they are watching the games live for the first time - providing unparalleled levels of authenticity. The CPL digital team will also be covering these matches as if they are live, providing match clips, graphics and behind the scenes content to replicate the CPL experience. Opening the CPL vault has served as a reminder of the classic, high-impact CPL games they have been. Now fans can re-live the best matches with an up-tothe-minute twist, thanks to CPL’s brilliant commentary team.

The CPL has also featured some of the greatest T20 cricketers of all-time, and fans will be able to enjoy some of their amazing performances as if they are watching them for the first time, with the commentators calling the game as if it was live. These matches will be broadcast using Grabyo’s state-of-the-art live streaming software, which will allow the commentators to broadcast remotely. The commentary team will be based in Australia, Trinidad and Barbados. Tom Moody, CPL Director, International Cricket and commentator said: “Thinking of everyone around the world during this challenging time. I’m thrilled to be involved with CPL’s initiative to revisit some of the best matches since 2013. Some of the best players in the world in action showing their class and we’ll be calling it, without knowing what game we have in advance! I hope that the biggest party in sport brings some comfort and a smile.” Pete Russell, CPL Chief Operating Officer, said: “The thoughts of everyone involved in CPL are with those who have had their lives impacted by this crisis and we have spent a good deal of time thinking how we can provide sports fans with something different and exciting for them to enjoy as we get through this pandemic. “We all miss live sport, and we wanted this experience to be as immersive as possible. So we hope that cricket fans around the world enjoy this unique interactive experience with some of the best cricket

commentators in the world and some of the best T20 cricket on the planet. “I would also like to thank Grabyo who have helped make this happen. Their incredibly talented team have highlighted how creativity and innovation will get us all through this challenging and worrying time.” Gareth Capon, Grabyo CEO, added: “The time has come for sports federations to go the extra mile to engage with fans in this trying time. CPL is leading the way and showing everyone how to be truly fan-first. “We are excited to play our part in this series and create unique experiences for cricket fans all over the world, delivering joy to those who need it now more than ever. We can’t wait to get started!”

HERO CPL to broadcast classic matches with new live commentary with Grabyo See story on page 31

Langer searches for silver lining amid cricket shutdown

Jamar Hamilton (L) of St Lucia Zouks shakes hands with Brandon King (R) of Guyana Amazon Warriors after the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) match between the two teams at Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium on September 25, 2019 in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia. (Photo by Ashley Allen - CPL T20/Getty Images)

Hadad named head of TTFA Normalisation Committee

See story on page 30

See story on page 29

Robert Hadad has been named chairperson of the FIFA normalisation committee.

Australia coach Justin Langer finds positives during global uncertainty.

NFL draft to continue as scheduled

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

See story on page 29

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2020